This year we used a program called Connected Math 2 as out text book. There are 8 different units but we only have done 6. The units we have covered so far are, Bits and Pieces 1 and 2, Covering and Surrounding, Prime Time, Shapes and Designs, and How Likely Is It? Each book has at least four to five investigations, which are different points that focus on something that related to the book. Our homework is in the ACE section of the investigation. ACE stands for Applications, Connections, and Extensions. We may have three to twenty questions for homework and/or to finish a point in the investigation. We write our homework in a homework checklist in our binder. When we come to school the next day we check over our homework from the night before. Here is an example of an actual page of ACE from Shapes and Designs:
Math class this year was fun and helpful. I have learned a lot this year and I will take all what I have learned into Middle and High School and the rest of my life. Something that really helped me though this year was actually my binder. The way my teachers told us the set up our binders kept me organized. We have a homework checklist, homework section, class-work section; assessments section and have a reference section. At the end of the book we hand in our homework checklist, homework, class-work, and assessments sections for a grade to see if they are in date order and if everything is there. These are the things that helped me though this awesome year.
One major thing that we do at the beginning of the unit are the “focus questions.” They have many purposes The “focus questions” let us have a sneak peek on what we are going to be doing in the unit. The second thing they do is get us excited and curious about the unit. These things make us want to go though the book and find all the cool things. Finally, the questions are examples of questions of we will find throughout the unit in class or for homework. Here are some examples of focus questions from Shapes and Designs:
· What property of a hexagon makes it a good shape for the cells of a honeycomb?
· Why do some shapes occur more often than other shapes in are, rug, and quilt designs?
· Why are braces on towers, roofs, and bridges in the shape of triangles and not rectangles or pentagons?
Another important thing that is in the beginning of the unit is the Mathematical Highlights. The highlights preview important keys to help throughout the unit. Another thing they do is that they provide us with a basic idea of what we will be learning about in the upcoming unit. The Highlights are also a place where parents can refer to if they want to know what the unit is about and find the main ideas of the unit. Here are some examples of unit Highlights from Shapes and Designs:
· Identify some important properties of polygons.
· Explore properties of parallel lines.
· Reason about and solve problems involving shapes.
My favorite unit was Shapes and Designs. I liked this unit because I liked learning about polygons and symmetry. Some polygons I learned are; decagons, nonagons, heptagons, regular polygons, and irregular polygons. I also liked it because you got to do a project about shapes in the real world. An example of this is what shapes tile. Another thing I really liked about this unit is learning about angles. We also learned how to use a protractor and angle ruler. I learned a lot of things, for example, triangles are the best shapes for building structures. The angle I found the most n everyday life is 90 °. So when I am in math class next year I will always hear Mrs. Mannon in my ear saying “Everything is connected!”
Math Reflection By Gabbi Kaczynski
This year we used a program called Connected Math 2 as out text book. There are 8 different units but we only have done 6. The units we have covered so far are, Bits and Pieces 1 and 2, Covering and Surrounding, Prime Time, Shapes and Designs, and How Likely Is It? Each book has at least four to five investigations, which are different points that focus on something that related to the book. Our homework is in the ACE section of the investigation. ACE stands for Applications, Connections, and Extensions. We may have three to twenty questions for homework and/or to finish a point in the investigation. We write our homework in a homework checklist in our binder. When we come to school the next day we check over our homework from the night before. Here is an example of an actual page of ACE from Shapes and Designs:
Math class this year was fun and helpful. I have learned a lot this year and I will take all what I have learned into Middle and High School and the rest of my life. Something that really helped me though this year was actually my binder. The way my teachers told us the set up our binders kept me organized. We have a homework checklist, homework section, class-work section; assessments section and have a reference section. At the end of the book we hand in our homework checklist, homework, class-work, and assessments sections for a grade to see if they are in date order and if everything is there. These are the things that helped me though this awesome year.
One major thing that we do at the beginning of the unit are the “focus questions.” They have many purposes The “focus questions” let us have a sneak peek on what we are going to be doing in the unit. The second thing they do is get us excited and curious about the unit. These things make us want to go though the book and find all the cool things. Finally, the questions are examples of questions of we will find throughout the unit in class or for homework. Here are some examples of focus questions from Shapes and Designs:
· What property of a hexagon makes it a good shape for the cells of a honeycomb?
· Why do some shapes occur more often than other shapes in are, rug, and quilt designs?
· Why are braces on towers, roofs, and bridges in the shape of triangles and not rectangles or pentagons?
Another important thing that is in the beginning of the unit is the Mathematical Highlights. The highlights preview important keys to help throughout the unit. Another thing they do is that they provide us with a basic idea of what we will be learning about in the upcoming unit. The Highlights are also a place where parents can refer to if they want to know what the unit is about and find the main ideas of the unit. Here are some examples of unit Highlights from Shapes and Designs:
· Identify some important properties of polygons.
· Explore properties of parallel lines.
· Reason about and solve problems involving shapes.
My favorite unit was Shapes and Designs. I liked this unit because I liked learning about polygons and symmetry. Some polygons I learned are; decagons, nonagons, heptagons, regular polygons, and irregular polygons. I also liked it because you got to do a project about shapes in the real world. An example of this is what shapes tile. Another thing I really liked about this unit is learning about angles. We also learned how to use a protractor and angle ruler. I learned a lot of things, for example, triangles are the best shapes for building structures. The angle I found the most n everyday life is 90 °. So when I am in math class next year I will always hear Mrs. Mannon in my ear saying “Everything is connected!”
http://connectedmath.msu.edu/pnd/development.shtml